The Russian legation is unique in that the main entrance is not cast to the walls so there was no need to hide firing steps with removable Lego and Milliput shrubs. It was also unique in that the walls had more detail than the other legations and the tops of the walls are not tile. The detail took time, but the fact that the top of each wall was flat and not tile made the work go faster. The rear gatehouse is Duplos and Legos covered with Evergreen, JTT, and Plastruct plastic. The corner wall posts are Legos covered with Evergreen plastic.888g by Richard Garretson, on FlickrIMG_1822 by Richard Garretson, on FlickrIMG_1822a by Richard Garretson, on FlickrIMG_1822b by Richard Garretson, on FlickrIMG_1822c by Richard Garretson, on Flickr

FifteensAway, fortunately the main entrance to the Japanese legation will be the same for both the pre-siege and siege versions. The only change I have made to the Blue Moon original is adding the Foo Dogs and providing the removable Milliput covered Legos as shrubs to hide the firing steps in the original when it functions as the pre-siege version. Doing the two versions on two different tables is making this possible and will make set up a lot easier... just need to move the main gate from one version to the next. As of this evening I have painted 41 Boxers. I'm moving along okay, but I don't think that this project will be done until around January 2019. I'll post the last of the pre-siege legation walls (the French legation) next week and then this thread will be done. I doubt that anyone else will buy into this idea since most people are gamers and the pre-siege version wouldn't be important to them. On the other hand, there might be some folks who want to make their own legations for gaming and this might be of some help. Over the years I have borrowed so many great ideas from people on LAF that I feel the need to give some ideas back from time to time.I don't know if I will add a bastion to my Tartar War; I'm a little tired of building wall-related stuff right now, but I am definitely watching what you have done and will be doing in that area with great interest. Richard

The table(s) I will be using for this project is 5 feet x 7 feet and offer enough space for five of the Blue Moon legation compounds. I will be using two tables so that I can represent the pre-siege legation area and the legations during the siege. The French legation was actually the first of the legations for which I scratch built the pre-siege walls. It is now the fifth and final posting of the pre-siege wall project. It involved pretty much all the types of work I did on the others: incorporation of the original Blue Moon entrance and attached walls with the firing steps hidden by removable shrubs made of a Lego framework covered by Milliput score to provide a shrub appearance. The rear gatehouse is made of an inner core of Legos and Duplos covered by Evergreen and Plastruct plastic. The corner posts are square Legos covered with Evergreen plastic. The walls are made of Evergreen, JTT, and Plastruct plastic as is the case with the other four legation pre-siege walls. With this posting I will end this thread. I hope it offers some ideas to others thinking of doing something along the same lines.888f by Richard Garretson, on FlickrIMG_1800 by Richard Garretson, on FlickrIMG_1816 by Richard Garretson, on FlickrIMG_1817 by Richard Garretson, on FlickrIMG_1819 by Richard Garretson, on Flickr

Ray, not to worry. We will see the legations painted - when he posts up his gallery. Might be down the road a bit, but plan on seeing it. Might see mine painted before Richard's but don't hold your breath. Life is a bit crazy these days round here.

Ray, FifteensAway knows me all too well. After more than five weeks of working daily on the pre-siege legation walls and my Tarter Wall, I needed a break from scratch building and was looking forward to painting some figures. For the last week and a half I have been painting 15mm Boxers (mostly Old Glory 15s and some Frontier), and I am happy to say that as of today I have 69 of them done and based. It will probably take me another two months or so to finish my Boxers and then a month or two (probably two) to complete my Chinese Imperial troops, Chinese civilians, Great Power and non-Chinese civilians. It could be January 2019 before all the figures and building are painted, but when that is done I will be posting the entire collection in diorama form on two 5 ft. x 7 ft. tables... one pre-siege version and one the siege version. Actually I'm looking forward to that myself. Richard

I have really enjoyed following your work on this. Really great stuff and gives me solid ideas for future projects of my own. I look forward to seeing painted versions of both pre-siege and siege period legations!!!Lon

DintheDin, marianas_gamer, and Eric, thanks to all three for taking the time to write and letting me know you are enjoying the project. Now that I have the pre-siege version of the legation walls for the British, Japanese, French, Russian and US legations built I am taking a step away from my legation work and spending some time painting related figures... right now that involves painting a lot of Boxers. Thanks again for the kind words. Richard